Several weeks of chilly weather have me waxing a bit philosophical these days.
(The weather is actually pretty nice today – 5 or 6 inches of fluffy new powder at our place and a tolerable -1 right now after a low of -10 last night; today’s forecast high in the mid-teens will feel balmy after the past few weeks….)
Back to topic and case in philosophical point – after today, the year comes to a close in only 17 days.
Don’t know about you, but I look forward to and appreciate the sense of renewal that comes with the New Year. 2009 offered some great times as well as some very challenging times for my family – we’re not sad to see this year finish and a new one looming on the horizon.
Over the past couple of years I’ve become a solid fan of Seth Godin. Yep, he’s a marketing guru, he writes one of the most popular (and useful) business blogs on the net, he’s a prolific author (don’t miss Tribes by the way), and I have no idea if he fishes or not. My guess would be that he probably doesn’t fish in places other than sushi bars, but that very well may be the wrong call.
Marketing is not anything close to being an area of personal expertise. Far from it, though about a decade ago I finally came to the realization that no matter what you do in life, being able to communicate well and persuade others is an absolutely critical skill. Most of us have a thing or two we might learn from those in the marketing field who have cultivated the skill of thinking outside the box in terms of communicating persuasively.
Godin is one of those few who consistently (at least IMHO) think outside the box and communicate with rare mastery.
Thinking is the key. Easier said than done and practiced by few.
Godin has published a nifty FREE PDF titled What Matters Now intended to prime your thinking about the New Year – download with a click on the cover picture below.
